FROM “SILENT PROTEST” TO HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION: THE CASE OF

Henelito A. Sevilla Jr.

Abstract


The ‘Arab Spring’ phenomenon is undeniably the most significant event that has changed the political landscape of Middle East and North African region. It combined the economic and political elements of revolution with the power of social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook. The uniqueness of this revolution lies in three important components: the absence of highly organized political groups that challenged central governments; the ‘virtual’ or ‘online’ essence of these revolutions; and the persistent demand to remove de-facto leaders and institute political and economic reforms. This article focuses on the nature of Libyan revolution and evaluates contending interests of powerful global community members in response to the call for intervention, as well as their response to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine. It will analyze whether unanswered domestic demand for political and economic reforms led the Libyan people to revolt or whether revolution in Libya was itself a natural, spontaneous reaction to the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. This paper follows qualitative analysis on the basis of exiting reports on newspapers, internet sources, government policies and library materials.


Keywords


Arab popular uprising, Arab Spring, democratization, humanitarian intervention, Middle East and North African (MENA), responsibility to protect, relative depravity, superpower interest.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Acemoglu, D. & Robinson, J. (2006). The Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Al-shalchi H., L., Ryan. (2011, March 22). ‘Tanks Terrorize Libyan City’. Associated Press, Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110323/-ap_on_re_af/af_libya.

Bajoria, J. (2011, March 24). ‘Libya and the Responsibility to Protect’. Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/libya/libya-responsibility-protect/p24480

Bledsoe , R. L. & Boczek, B.A. (1987). The International Law Dictionary. Sta. Barbara California: Clio Diotionaries in Political Science, 330.

Burnett, B. (2011, April 8). ‘Libya: An American’s National Interest?’

Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-burnett/obama-libya-war_b_846594.html.

Cordesman, A. H. Barfi, B., Haddad, B. & Mezran, K. (2011, April 22). ‘The Arab Uprising and the US Policy: What is the American National Interests?’ Retrieved from http://www.mepc.org/journal/-middle-east-policy-archives/arab-uprisings-and-us-policy.

Dunne, T. (2011). “R2P Ideas in Brief,” Asia Pacific Canter for the Responsibility to Protect, Vol. 1.

Elagate, M. (2011, August 10). ‘The Arab Spring Common Roots, Common Challenges’. Jadalliya. Retrieved from http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/-2240/the-arab-spring_common-roots-common-challenges.

Fly, Jamie M. (2011, March 16). ‘Libya is a Problem from Hell.’ Foreign Policy. Retrieved from http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/03/16/libya_is_a_problem_from_hell

Jones, W. S. (1999). The Logic of International Relations. New York: HarperCollens Publishers Inc., 399.

Johnson, A. (2008, April 5). ‘Appointment with Farce’. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/05/appointmentwithfarce.

Hallinan, C. (2011, March 25-27). ‘The Price of the Ticket, The US, Libya and Oil.’ Retrieved from http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/03/25/the-us-libya-and-oil/.

Hamilton, R. (2006). ‘The Responsibility To Protect: From Document to Doctrine–But What of Implementation?’ Harvard Human Rights Journal 19, 283-289.

Hodge, Na, Dagher, S, Fidler, S. & Meichtr, S. (2011, March 23). ‘Allies Strain to Mend Split’. Wall Street Journal, Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article

/SB10001424052748704461304576215853580848720.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories.

Gurr, T. (1970). Why Men Rebel. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 36.

Herst, J. (2011, November 30). ‘Egypt Elections: A Surge for Islamists Leaves Many Wondering What Comes Next’. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/egypt-elections-islamists_n_1120400.html

Kirkpatrick, D. (2011, March 23). ‘Allies Pressure Qaddafi Forces around Rebel Cities’. New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/-2011/03/24/world/africa/24libya.html?_r=1&hp.

Kurth, J. (2005, Winter). ‘Humanitarian Intervention after Iraq: Legal Ideas versus Military Realities’. Elsevier. Retrieved from ,http://www.fpri.org/-orbis/5001/kurth.humanitarianinterventionafteriraq.pdf.

Lekic, S. (2011, March 25). ‘NATO Takes command of Part of Libya Operation’. Associate Press. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/-libya_diplomacy.

Lichtblau, E., Rohde, D. & Rises, J. (2011, March 24). ‘Shaddy Dealings Helped Qaddafi Build Fortune and Regime.’ New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/world/africa/24qaddafi.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.

St. John, R. (2008, Winter). ‘The Changing Libyan Economy: Cause and Consequences.’ Middle East Journal 62(1), 80-81. Retrieved from http://relooney.fatcow.com/SI_RoutledgeOil/Authors_48.pdf.

Telhami, S. (2011). ‘Libya Action in US National Interests.’ Brookings. Retrieved from, http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2011/0328_libya_telhami.aspx

Tilly, C.. (2004). Social Movements, 1768–2004. Boulder, Colorado. USA: Paradigm Publishers. 53.

Meyer, J. (2011, March 21). ‘US Intelligence: 'Desperate' Gadhafi Could Use WMD.’ News Max.com. Retrieved from http://www.newsmax.com/-Advertise/Gadhafi-WMD-mustardgas-us/2011/03/21/id/390209.

Miller, J. & Jones, J. (2011, April 13). ‘Libya War More in the Interests of Europeans than the US.’ ABC News, Retrieved fromhttp://abcnews.go.com/-International/libya-war-interest-europeans-us-jim-jones/story?id=13285492

Nonneman, G.. (2008). ‘Political Reform in the Gulf monarchies: From Liberalization to Democratization? A Comparative Perspective’. In Ehteshami, Anoushivaran and Wright, Steven (eds.). Reform in the Middle East Oil Monarchies (pp. 3-36). Berkshire, UK: Ithaca Press.

Risen, J. & Lichblau, E. (2011, March 9). ‘Hoard of Cash Lets Qaddafi Extend Fight against Rebels’. The New York Times. Retrieved from, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/world/africa/10qaddafi.html.

Rousseau, R. (2011, June 22). ‘Why German abstain on UN Resolution 1973 on Libya’. Foreign Policy Journal. Retrieved from http://www.foreign-policyjournal.com/2011/06/22/why-germany-abstained-on-un-resolution-1973-on-libya/.

Sauder, K. (2009, February 2). ‘Khadafy Named leader of African Union’. Politonomist. Retrieved from http://www.politonomist.com/gaddafi-named-leader-of-african-union-00940/

Van Hoose, H. (2011, April 12). ‘Understanding the Russian Response to the Intervention in Libya’. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/04/russia_libya_response.html.

Watt, N., Hopkins, N. & Tranor, I. (2011, March 23). ‘NATO To Take Control in Libya after US, UK and France Reached Agreement’. Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/-mar/22/libya-nato-us-france-uk.

Whitlock, C. (2011, February). ‘Gaddafi Is Eccentric But the Firm Master of his regime, Wikileaks Cables Say’. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-.

Zaptia, S. (2008, October 25). ‘Libya’s External Problems are over: No Excuse no for slow Economic progress’. The Tripoli Post. . Retrieved from http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=5&i=2484.

Zheng, Y. (2011, April 4). ‘Why China Has Abstained from UN’s Resolution on Libya’. China in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.zhong-fei.org/en/node/22.

‘Ban outlines need for long term transition arrangements in Libya’. UN News Service. Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/-wmd/library/news/libya/libya-110329-unnews01.htm?_m=3n.002a.157.dl0ao00q5v.53e.

‘Cameron: UK working on ‘no-fly zone’ plan for Libya’. (2011, February 28). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12598674.

‘Corruption Perceptions Index 2010 Results’. (2010, October 26). Transparency International. Retrieved from http://www.transparency.org/-policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results.

‘Europe, not US, pushed Military Intervention in Libya’. (2011, March 21). Retrieved from http://www.usforacle.com/europe-not-us-pushed-military-intervention-in-libya-1.2517631#.TqZ3dFvMvIU.

‘Gaddafi: Africa’s King of Kings’. (2008, August 29). BBC News, Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/-hi/uk_news/7588033.st

‘Libya Country Profile’. (2011, May 21). Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/819291.stm.

‘Libya Country Report’. Freedom House, Retrieved from http://www.freedomhouse.org/country/libya.

‘Libya Housing’, The Library of Congress Country Studies, CIA World Factbook. Retrieved from http://www.photius.com/countries/libya/society/libya_society_housing.html.

‘Libya country Profile’. Retrieved from, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/819291.stm.

‘Libya’. (2011, July 7). Bureau of Near Easter Affairs, Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/-ei/bgn/5425.htm.

‘Libya's Jobless Rate at 20.7 Percent: Report’. (2009, March 2). Reuters. Retrieved from http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE52106820090302.

‘Libya Economy 2011’. Retrieved from http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/libya/libya_economy.html.

‘Libya, Annual Report 2011’. Amnesty International, Retrieved from http://www.amnesty.org/en/-region/libya/report-2011.

‘Libya: Use Forensic Experts to Exhume Prison Grave’. (2011, September 26). Human Rights Watch Retrieved from http://www.hrw.org/news/-2011/09/26/libya-use-forensic-experts-exhume-prison-grave.

‘Libya Has Trouble Building the Most Deadly Weapons’. (1995, December). The Risk Report 1(10). Retrieved from http://www.wisconsin-project.org/countries/libya/trouble.html.

‘Libya’. (2011, July 7). Bureau of Near Easter Affairs. Retrieved from, http://www.state.gov/r/-pa/ei/bgn/5425.htm.

‘Libya’. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/-ipa/A0107722.html.

‘Libya: Missile Strike destroys Qaddafi ‘Command Centre’. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12801812.

’Commander says Libya may need foreign stabilization force’. (2011, March 29). Al Pessin. Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/libya/libya-110329voa05.htm?_m=3n.002a.157.dl0ao00q5v.53j.

‘President Obama on Libya No-Fly-Zone’. (2011, March 18). Retrieved from

www.clipsandcomment.com/-2011/03/19/transcript-president-obama-on-libya-no-fly-zone-march-18-2011/.

‘Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 2004 Article IV Consultation — Staff Report’. (2005, March). IMF Country Report No. 05/83. Retrieved from www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=18109.0.

‘The Libyan Economy’. US Library of Congress, Retrieved from http://countrystudies.us/libya/57.htm.

‘The Responsibility to Protect: From Document to Doctrine-But What of

Implementation?’ (2006, Spring). Harvard Human Rights Journal 19. Retrieved from http://www.law.harvard.edu/-students/orgs/hrj/iss19/hamilton.shtml.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted in April 2005 in resolution (S/RES/1674)

‘Why Russia voted to abstain on Libya ‘no-fly zone’ resolution.’ Mendeleyev Journal, Retrieved from, http://russianreport.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/russias-view-on-libya


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2015 Henelito A. Sevilla Jr.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Journal of South Asian Studies
ISSN: 2307-4000 (Online), 2308-7846 (Print)
© EScience Press. All Rights Reserved.